PHOENIX — DeMarre Carroll is going to get booed by many Raptors fans when he makes his return to Toronto on Friday night in a Brooklyn Nets uniform.

We get it, but it’s a mistake.

While Vince Carter, Chris Bosh and Tracy McGrady deserved the vitriol for the way they handled their exits, Carroll actually did the team a favour. Plus, he did something else in service of the franchise and his teammates that should be lauded.

More on that later.

First off, Carroll ruffled some feathers when he indicated to this reporter in a phone interview back in July that there were some issues holding the Raptors back.

“Toronto is an (isolation) team, that’s what they win off (of), that’s what they’ve been playing off of for five, six years now,” Carroll said then, some five months ago.

“This year, I feel like a lot of guys didn’t trust each other and a lot of guys, they didn’t feel like other guys could produce or (be) given the opportunity, so there was a lot of lack of trust on our team, so that’s what hindered us from going (as far as they wanted to go).”

DeMarre Carroll on Feb. 12, 2017 (ERNEST DOROSZUK/POSTMEDIA)

Carroll was ripped for the comments — or maybe moreso for the headlines and for conclusions drawn by many who didn’t even read the article and its companion piece from a day earlier — but, the thing is, he was right.

There was a lack of trust (part of it was because Carroll and Patrick Patterson missed a lot of shots) and the style was far too individualistic and easy to neutralize in the playoffs.

Just this week, Dwane Casey said this about the changes the franchise knew needed to be made.

“Selling (Lowry and DeMar DeRozan), it was a challenge, because those two guys are all-stars, they are Olympians, so, ‘Why do we have to change, coach? I’m one of the best in the league going 1-on-1.’ But, Kyle understands, DeMar understands, for us to go and to keep guys from keying on them and taking them out once the playoffs (come) and once you have time to prepare for a week, they understood that. They are smart players,” Casey said.

And you can’t argue with the results so far.

The passing is way up, as is the shooting efficiency. Toronto is harder to guard (only Golden State and Houston have been deadlier on offence) and a deep roster has contributors in every corner, sharing the load.

Understandably, most fans don’t like the contract Carroll was given, but nobody would have turned it down if they were in his position. At the time, he was one of the bigger free agent signings in franchise history and could have been a nice fit had he been healthy. (Carroll has bounced back this season in Brooklyn, averaging career bests in scoring, rebounding and made three-pointers. He leads the clubs in starts, minutes and rebounds per game). It’s also not his fault that the franchise had to unload draft picks in order to move his big salary due to future luxury tax concerns.

You can argue that maybe Carroll should not have revealed internal issues. What nobody can argue, though, is that he didn’t give his all for the club.

Carroll rushed back from knee surgery when he probably should have rehabbed for longer, because he wanted to be a part of a team that eventually went all the way to the conference finals for the first time. Carroll was far from 100%, but gutted out an early return to help out his teammates.

That should count for something.

Carroll was a fan favourite in Utah, Atlanta and Memphis before he was making big money and hampered by injuries.

He shouldn’t be celebrated on Friday night at the ACC, but he shouldn’t be booed either.

Regardless of the overall reception, Carroll will definitely be greeted warmly by pockets of the crowd. He did extensive charity work during his time with the Raptors and Carroll will be inviting to the game 30 youths from Trust 15, a not-for-profit organization that provides mentorship programs for inner-city youths.

VALANCIUNAS COMES THROUGH

The Raptors opted to sit Jonas Valanciunas against gigantic Clippers centre DeAndre Jordan the other night and Jordan ended up grabbing a crucial offensive rebound (DeMar DeRozan had it but couldn’t hold on).

Late in another close game against the Suns on Wednesday, Dwane Casey kept Valanciunas in the game and it paid off, with Valanciunas securing a crucial board and hitting one of two free throws.

“JV was rolling to the basket, getting what he wanted, and we just felt like we needed rebounding in there the way they offensive rebounded. They had nine in the first half,” Casey said.

“They only had one in the second half. So we elected to go big. Coulda, woulda, shoulda, we just felt like (JV’s) size, his bulk, would hold off (Greg Monroe).”

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